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And, he doesn’t have a half-dozen accomplished NFL route-running artists to make defences dizzy.

What he does have is running back C.J. Spiller, who began to deliver on his prospect status last year. And, it appears he will be pairing the fourth-year tailback with rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel.

Head coach Doug Marrone told reporters he hadn’t made a decision on whether veteran Kevin Kolb or Manuel would start against the Colts Sunday in the opening pre-season game. But Kolb has been underwhelming in camp, plus he hasn’t practiced all week after slipping on a mat and hurting his knee — as well as leaving to attend a family funeral.

Meantime, Manuel has been getting high-fives from teammates, and approving glances from coaches, for his work with the first team. Bills general manager Doug Whaley said last week that “(Manuel) has that ‘it’ factor.”

Not that he has been a portrait of perfection. He went 9-of-17 in a scrimmage this week, with 113 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

But after several seasons of quarterback chaos, the Bills would settle for adequate and efficient this season. Bills management drafted him in the first round with expectations that he will be their future No. 1 quarterback. Kolb reportedly has not done anything to prove that he should be starting ahead of Manuel. It’s not difficult to figure which way management is leaning. It wants Manuel to be their guy — and, if he can do it in his rookie season, they’d be all the happier.

With Spiller becoming a big part of a rush-oriented offence, Manuel’s passing wouldn’t be a focal point. Spiller had a breakout season in 2012 with 1,244 yards on 207 carries. Hackett expects to exploit that further, playing to the strengths of an offence that doesn’t have a proven NFL receiving corps.

“It’s real simple, we’re going to give him (Spiller) the ball until he throws up,” Hackett told WGR 550 in Buffalo. “So he’s either got to tap out or throw up on the field. Let’s just put it that way.”

TWO TO TANGO

The Bills aren’t the only team in the AFC East looking for rookie salvation at quarterback.

Geno Smith is giving Mark Sanchez a run for the No. 1 job in New York. Jets coach Rex Ryan handed Sanchez the start against the Lions in Friday’s pre-season opener. But the assignment came with faint praise, and Ryan said Smith would also get a chance to work with the No. 1 offence.

“It’s been an even competition,” Ryan said. “He’s the incumbent ... it seemed like the natural thing to do.”

Locked in a tight battle for the No. 1 job, Sanchez has played better lately, while Smith held an edge earlier in training camp, according to New York media observers.

“He’s earned it,” offensive co-ordinator, Marty Mornhinweg said. “That’s the first thing. The second thing is he’s been the starter here. The first game will typically be his.”

If Sanchez plays well, it could be the beginning of a renaissance season. “I think I earned the right to start this first game, and we’ll see how it goes from there,” Sanchez said, in comments distributed by the team.

If he doesn’t perform well, his first start of 2013 could also be his last as a Jet. Smith is expected to be given the start next week against the Jaguars. After that, Ryan is expected to make a decision: Sanchez. Or Smith. Or bust.

HEADS OR TALES

The problem with Vontaze Burfict is that he doesn’t have an off button.

So, occasionally Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis just has to pull the plug on his overzealous linebacker.

Burfict got a dressing down from his boss for jumping on the back of Atlanta’s Steven Jackson during a joint practice. “I told him if he did to me what he did to Steven, I would have hit him with a two by four,” Lewis told the Bengals website. “Steven should have gotten him in his sleep last night.”

Burfict had 16 personal fouls in his final 26 games at Arizona State and it was a key factor in his failure to get drafted. But he had only one roughing foul last season and said the latest confrontation resulted because of Jackson’s head-down running style. ”He’ll get fined a couple of times,” Burfict predicted, of a new rule that prevents runners from using the crown of their helmets.

“I got off the block and ... he was running with his head completely down. My arm wrapped around his body, whatever, and he just kept running with his head down and at the end he tried to give me a shove and he called me a bleep.”

TURF BITS

Mike Wallace returned to practice for the first time in two weeks and appears recovered from a groin injury, running down a 40-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill ... Seahawks released recently-signed receiver Early Doucet after just one practice ... Safety Deon Grant has retired after 11 years with the Panthers, Jaguars, Seahawks and Giants ... Packers running back Eddie Lacy is sidelined with a hamstring issue. Coach Mike McCarthy said it’s not serious and the Alabama rookie is expected to be the Week 1 starter ... Browns’ Trent Richardson won’t play Thursday after taking an accidental kick to the shin in practice ... The Saints keep shooting themselves in the foot: Wide receiver Joe Morgan (torn meniscus and ACL) and defensive end Kenyon Coleman (pectoral tear) will be lost for the season. Outside linebacker Junior Galette left practice with an unspecified injury ... Kelvin Hayden, the Bears’ nickel cornerback, is out for the season with a torn hamstring ... Packers left tackle Bryan Bulaga will have surgery to repair an ACL tear sustained in Saturday’s intrasquad game but hopes to return before the end of the season.

So it is that he will be a keynote speaker April 17-20, in Las Vegas — at the American Atheists convention. As an NFL player, Kluwe is purely unconventional: A gay rights evangelist, he is a video game expert, a political activist who once was invited to the White House, and refreshingly outspoken.

“If you don’t stand for something,” he has said, “eventually society will continue to swirl down the drain and you’ll get to a point where there won’t be anymore sports because everyone is hitting each other with sticks trying to get food and water.”

This latest endeavour definitely runs against the NFL grain. Lots of players join the post-game prayer circle at midfield. It’s not unusual for coaches to still have pre-game locker room prayers. Not that Kluwe has anything against that.

In fact, he isn’t even an atheist. But he is what might be called a free thinker, who calls himself “cheerfully agnostic.”

He believes both atheists and people of faith should leave room for doubt about their beliefs.

And, he doesn’t have a half-dozen accomplished NFL route-running artists to make defences dizzy.

What he does have is running back C.J. Spiller, who began to deliver on his prospect status last year. And, it appears he will be pairing the fourth-year tailback with rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel.

Head coach Doug Marrone told reporters he hadn’t made a decision on whether veteran Kevin Kolb or Manuel would start against the Colts Sunday in the opening pre-season game. But Kolb has been underwhelming in camp, plus he hasn’t practiced all week after slipping on a mat and hurting his knee — as well as leaving to attend a family funeral.